Ukrainian delegates arrive in Istanbul for next round of peace talks with Russia
The Ukrainian delegation arrived in Istanbul for peace talks with Russia, which are scheduled for the afternoon of June 2, Ukrinform reported, citing Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi.
Their Russian counterparts have also already arrived.
The negotiations follow the first round of Istanbul talks, which concluded on May 16 with an agreement on the largest prisoner exchange of the war but without any progress toward a peace deal.
Russia has not officially submitted its memorandum outlining peace terms, but Ukraine plans to present a detailed roadmap aimed at securing a lasting settlement.
According to the proposal, the process would begin with a minimum 30-day ceasefire, followed by a full exchange of prisoners and the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russian-held areas, ultimately leading to a potential meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The plan was reported on June 1 by Reuters, which reviewed a copy of the document.
Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya reiterated on May 30 that Moscow would only consider a ceasefire if Ukraine halts mobilization and stops receiving foreign military aid.
Speaking ahead of the June 2 talks, Zelensky reminded that Russia has not submitted its so-called peace memorandum to Ukraine, Turkey, or the U.S.
"Despite this, we will try to achieve at least some progress on the path toward peace," he added.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is leading Ukraine's 14-member delegation, which includes several figures from Ukraine's military, human rights, and legal sectors who did not take part in the May 16 negotiations.
Russian delegates will be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who represented Moscow both during the first unsuccessful peace talks in Istanbul in 2022 and then again in May this year.
Security advisors from the U.S., U.K., France, and Germany also plan to attend, according to U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg.
Talking to the Russian state media, Medinsky confirmed that the Russian side had received Ukrainian peace proposals. Russia plans to present its memorandum only during the talks, Russian pro-state news agency Interfax reported, citing its sources.
While the U.S. and Ukraine have pushed for an unconditional ceasefire, the Kremlin has rejected it.
Instead, Moscow has regularly voiced maximalist demands that are unlikely to be accepted by Kyiv, such as recognition of Russia's illegal annexation of Ukrainian regions and withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the parts of these regions remaining under Kyiv's control.
Trump has expressed frustration with Russia's reluctance to make concessions and its intensifying and deadly attacks on Ukraine. He has so far refused to impose additional sanctions on Russia.
The talks are taking place only a day after the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) launched a mass drone attack against Russian air bases, allegedly hitting 41 Russian bombers and disabling 34% of Russia's cruise missile air fleet.
Read also: As Trump fails to sanction Moscow, few expect breakthrough during upcoming Russia-Ukraine talks
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